WILLIAM FAULKNER

Experimental Representations of Reality in Fiction

William Faulkner was a prolific writer (novels, short-stories, a play, poetry, essays,
screenplays), who like so many of his literary characters, was profoundly affected by his
family. His fiction is set in the South and with his novel “Sartoris” he begins his
YOKNAPATAWPHA saga, a fictional place, his imaginative recreation of the tragedy of
the American South. His novels are connected, each novel works with the others to clarify
and redefine the characters.

The novels present families that reappear in many of his nevels and stories: The
Sartoris and Compson families:

- The Compson families – represent the LAND-OWNING, ARISTOCRATIC

OLD SOUTH), while
- the Snopes clan represents the RUTHLESS, COMMERCIAL NEW SOUTH.

One of the main themes of his fiction is MAN’S RELATION TO THE PAST, and
most of his characters struggle to achieve a significant and meaningful relationship with the
past. Faulkner’s work has been appreciated for its EXPERIMENTAL MANNER,
CONTEMPORRARY THEMES and the often used STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
TECHNIQUE. He succeeded in exploring fundamental issues in intensely localized terms.

“THE SOUND AND THE FURRY” (1929)

Faulkner used the stream of consciousness method (where the narrators let their
thoughts flow freely, creating a DIFFERENT MANNER OF THOUGHT in each of its four
sections.) the novel records the breakdown of the Compson family, suggesting a sort of
BREAKDOWN OF THE SOUTHERN WAYS OF THE PAST. The four sections, each of
them, is represented by a narrator so there are 4 different voices/perspectives of the story,
which is in out of chronological order. Each section takes place in a single day: 3 sections
are set in 1928 and one in 1910.

The first chapters consist of the thoughts, memories and voices of the three
Compsons captured on three different days:

BENJY – a severely retarded 33 year old man – April, 1928;

QUENTIN – a young Harvard student – June, 1910,

IASON – a bitter farm-supply store worker – April, 1928.

The fourth chapter is the voice of a third person omniscient narrator, but focuses on
Dilsey, the Compson family’s devoted “Negro” – a cook who was played a great part in
raising the children. The Compsons are one of several prominent names in the town of
Jefferson, Mississippi. Their ancestors help settle area and subsequently defended it during
the Civil War (1861-1865). However, since the war, the Compsons have seen their wealth,
land and status crumble away.

Main themes:

- THE CORRUPTION OF SOUTHERN ARISTOCRATIC VALUES

The Civil War and Reconstruction devastated many of prominent Southern
aristocratic families (economically, socially and psychologically). Faulkner claims
that in the process, the Compsons lost touch with reality of the world around them
and became underwent a PROCESS OF SELF-ABSORPTION, which
CORRUPTED THE CORE VALUES these families once held dear and left the
newer generations completely unequipped to deal with the realities of the modern
world.
- RESSURECTION AND RENEWAL – three of the novel’s section take place
on/or around Easter, 1928. Faulkner’s placement of the novel’s climax on this
weekend is significant, as the weekend is associated with Christ’s crucifixion on
Good Friday and resurrection on Eastern Sunday. A number of symbolic events
could be linked to the death of Christ (the decline of the Compsons), but Easter
weekend also brings the hope of renewal and resurrection
- THE FAILURE OF LANGUAGE AND NARRATIVE Faulkner’s decision to
use 4 different narrators highlights the SUBJECTIVITY of each narrative and
casts doubt on the ability of language to convey truth or meaning absolutely.
Benjy, Quentin and Jason have vastly DIFFERENT VIEWS on the Compson
tragedy, but no single perspective seems more valid than the others. Even the final
section, with its omniscient third-person narrator, does not tie up all of the novel’s
loose ends.